June was recently declared “Search & Rescue Month” by Gov. Tina Kotek.
Lane County Search & Rescue (SAR) deputies and volunteers said they have stayed busy helping out.
- June 13: Patrol deputies responded to a vehicle crash into Cottage Grove Lake along London Road, south of Cottage Grove. Deputies were unable to locate the vehicle but observed signs of a collision. The SAR Dive Team began searching the murky water in the dark. After an hour, they located the vehicle fully submerged but unoccupied. They located the driver on shore, unconscious but otherwise unscathed. Deputies determined that the driver had fallen asleep, which resulted in the crash. The driver was returned home, and the Dive Team assisted with the removal of the vehicle by a tow company.
- June 17: Four people floating the Willamette River lost their inner tubes south of Springfield and became stranded on the bank. SAR volunteers escorted most of the involved out and carried one person out to a waiting ambulance due to a medical condition.
- June 18: SAR responded to assist an elderly male who fell at Spirit Falls, west of Oakridge. He was head-first in a rocky area and may have been there for several days before hikers discovered him. Once SAR extricated him, medics provided immediate medical care and transported him to an area hospital.
- June 26: SAR responded to Terwilliger Hot Springs to assist the Oakridge Fire Department with a subject who needed to be carried out of the hot springs to a waiting ambulance.
Nearly every week, SAR volunteers assist residents and visitors in all types of environments. More info and to donate: tinyurl.com/SARdonations
